Shock absorber



Aug. 28, 1951 J. H. MERCIER ET AL 2,565,617

SHOCK ABSORBER Filed April 5, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 4 4/ 45a '1 32 7 4 39 F U Z /4 1 it 4| h 4 4 4 v li L I w 22 7 INVENTORS ATON EY 1951 J. H. MERCIER ETAL 2,565,617

SHOCK ABSORBER Fl 6. 5. v

ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 28, 1951 DEFICE SHOCK ABSORBER Jacques H. Mercier and Jean Mercier, New York, N. Y.

Application April 5, 1946, Serial No. 659,924

11 Claims.

This invention relates to astatic shock absorbers and more specifically to the hydraulic or cylinder-and-piston type in which flow passages for the hydraulic liquid are provided with spring loaded check valves for controlling the operation and shock-absorbing characteristics of the shock absorber.

It is one object to provide shock-absorbing characteristics whereby the shock-initiated stroke of the piston from the intermediate or neutral position to the extreme outer positions of the piston are relatively unsnubbed whereas the return strokes towards the neutral position are snubbed.

Another object is to provide snubbin characteristics on the respective return strokes, which are represented by curves in the stroke pressure coordinate system having a shape symmetrically identical to the one of the oscillatory return movement of the device to be dampened. It may be advantageous to have a flattened or substantially horizontal end portion at the extreme ends of the movement in order to facilitate and accelerate the return toward the median or neutral position in case of large oscillations.

The desired kind of dampening function to be obtained from the shock absorber can be mathematically expressed as follows:

If the force producing the return to neutral of the oscillatory movement be F=y=f(x) then the shock absorber characteristics or dampened force during such return movement to neutral should be F'=f(z) =-F=. l=-f(a:)

Another object is to produce a shock absorber in which these characteristics can be readily predetermined as well as varied to suit specific requirements. Hence, it is a more specific object to provide for such variability by means of a single exchangeable element or spring.

Other objects are to provide a shock absorber having the aforementioned characteristics, which is structurally compact and simple, which can be readily assembled, and which is inexpensive to manufacture.

These objects are attained by providing the piston with a fluid transfer passage having a variable reaction spring loaded check valve herein termed the piston valve; by providing at one end of the working cylinder, a fluid outlet passage leading to the reservoir and having a constant reaction spring loaded check valve, the flow direction through both passages being co-directional; by providing lost motion pressure-transmitting means whereby the valve-closing spring pressure throttling the fluid transfer through the piston also reacts upon and counteracts and eventually neutralizes the valve-closing constant reaction spring pressure that normally checks the outflow into the reservoir; by providing a spring check inflow passage at one end of the working cylinder whereby to allow for inflow of fluid from the reservoir into the cylinder; and by providing a constant reaction spring for opening the piston valve against the pressure of the variable reaction spring as the valve-closing pressure thereof diminishes due to expansion thereof.

Functionally expressed, these objects are attained:

((1) Where the impulse is in the one direction (as for shock-initiated retraction of the piston, for instance) by allowing for substantially unsnubbed fluid transfer to take place through the piston as the piston shock-initiated travels towards the check valved but now closed end of the cylinder, while snubbing the subsequent return stroke as the transfer passage in the piston closes causing fluid pressure to overcome the spring loading normally presentand throttling the end outlet passage;

(b) Where the impulse is in the opposite direction (when the piston rod extends from the neutral position, for instance) by allowing for unsnubbed fluid outflow from the cylinder end passage as the valve closing spring reaction from the piston becomes increasingly effective to counteract and relieve the closed spring load normally throttling the outlet passage, while snubbing the subsequent return stroke due to the spring preloading now effective to throttle the transfer passage in the piston, and due to the now eflective closure of the inlet check at the opposite end of the cylinder.

According to one feature the piston is actuated by a piston rod and the volume differential or excess fluid volume due to piston rod displacement is compensated for by allowing it to escape through the spring loaded outflow check valve.

According to another feature a variable-reaction spring is effective upon the check valve that throttles the flow through the fluid transfer passage in the piston, while the spring that loads the outflow check valve at the cylinder end is of the constant-reaction type. A variable-reaction spring is one which requires the force needed for its compression to increase with the degree of compression, whereas in a constant-reaction spring the compressive force is uniform and substantially independent of the degree of compresslon.

Accordingly a feature resides in providing a variable reaction spring to surround the piston rod, which spring when unde 1 compression loads an annular check valve member closing the fluid transfer passages in the piston, although the dimensions or fully extended length of the spring is such that the loading is efiective substantially only during the shock-initiated extension and the subsequent reaction stroke of the piston rod.

According to another feature a weak constantreaction spring tends to open the piston valve member, although counteracting the variable-reaction pressure during that period during which it is effective upon the annular check valve member associated with the piston.

According to another feature the inflow check valve comprises an annular valve member lod ing in a widened end portion of the working cylinder, which annular valve member is underthe pressure of a coil spring having substantially the diameter of the annular valve member, so that the piston when in its retracted end position may lodge in the space within said annular valve member as well as within said spring.

Specific structural features lie in the manner in which the working cylinder is connected with a surrounding jacket so as toform a fluid reservoir in the space between the cylinder and the jacket.

Other features lie in the specific structure and configuration of the respective loading springs for the valves as well as in their functional relationship whereby they react upon one another during a part of the operating cycle of the shock absorber. More specifically a feature lies in providing a flat helically coiled variable reaction spring for the piston check valve surrounding the piston rod, and providing a constant-reaction. spring for the end outlet checkvalve composed of a series or superposed Belleville' or dished spring washers.

It is among the. advantages resulting from this invention that the shock-absorbing Ch2.-I&Ctl. istics can be varied merely by a variation of the characteristics of the variable-reaction spring. or springs, that is to say by'the exchange of a single spring element within the combination that represents the shock absorber according to this invention.

According to another embodiment both the outlet, as well as the inlet check valve are. disposed at the same end of the working cylinder ofthe shock absorber, that is to say facing the same side of the piston. The piston is accordingly provided with an additional check valved fluid transfer passage for fluid transfer therethrough in a. direction opposite to the direction of flow through the variable spring pressure controlled piston valve having a variable pressure loading spring interacting with and counteracting. a closing spring provided for the outlet check valve.

Additional features therefore lie in the structural relationship of parts. One specific feature lies in the concentric arrangement of the inlet and outlet check valves. Another specific feature lies in the structural relationship of the variable ressure closing spring for the piston valve and a Beileville washer substantially constant pressure spring for the outlet check valve of the working cylinder.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which with the foregoing will be set forth in the following description. In the accompanying drawings there has been illustrated the best embodiment of the invention known to us, but such embodiment is to be regarded as typical only of many possible embodiments, and the invention is not to be limited thereto.

The novel features considered characteristic of our invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is alongitudinal sectional View of the shock absorber showing the piston in its median or vertical position;

Fig. 2 is a similar, although part-sectional, view showing the piston close to its extreme retracted position;

Fig. 3 is a similar, although part-sectional, view showing the piston near its extreme extended position;

Fig. dis a diagram shock absorber per fashion;

:Fig. 5 is the pressure diagram of the springs to lac-dampened by the shock absorber;

' Fig. 6 is the dampening diagram resulting from a super-position of the Figs. 4 and 5 dia grams;

Fig. '7 is another embodiment of the invention;

Figs. '8 and 9 illustrate diagrammatically a specific manner of application of the shock absorber, namely as between coupled railroad cars.

The shock absorber comprises internal or working cylinder Iii surrounded by an external cylinder or casing ii forming with the working cylinder an annular space or reservoir R.

The working cylinder or container It has a flange portion 53 at its lower end provided with flow passages i i connected with or sunk into a bottom end portion l5. The bottom portion l5 hasan upper internal shou der it to receive the flan e portion :3, and a lower internal shoulder ii. A check'valve member in the form of an annulus i8 has vertical movement between the upper and the lower shoulder, being urged to close the flow passages M by a coil spring l8 lodging in a depression 20 formed in the bottom portion by the shoulder ii. The outer contour of the bottom. end portion hasa cylindrical section 2i and a conical section 22.

The working cylinder it has a top end portion 23 with respect to which it fits over a shoulder 24, which also defines an overhanging marginal portion having now passages or ports 25 and an external conical face 25 whereby it is seated and confined within the external shell or casing H further to be defined and with which it forms an annular reservoir R for the hydraulic fluid.

The top end portion 23 has now passages 21, bores 28 in which operate loosely slidable pressure transmitting pins 29, and a central opening 38 in which sildes a piston rod 3i having a reduced lower end portion 32 constituting a shoulder of the operation or the .se, presented in cyclic and a further reduced extreme end portion 34 constituting a shoulder A working piston or movable partition 36 is fastened upon the reduced portion 34 and fixedly confined between the shoulder 35 and a rivet head 3'5 formed by the extreme end of the reduced portion 3d.

The piston comprises a horizontal body portion 38 and a cylindrical portion 39 formed by a downwardly extending I skirt portion is and an upwardly extending skirt portion ii, the upward skirt portion thus forming a cup-like depression 42, and the downward skirt portion forming an inverted cup-like depression 33. The body portion of the piston has flow passage 4.4 provided with an annular check valve member 45 having slide fit upon the reduced portion 32 of the piston rod. The annular member -45 has a circular downwardly extending ledge 45a over which fits loosely an annular gasket member or fiber annulus 46 adapted to be seated upon and to close the flow passages 44 against the pressure of a coil spring 46 disposed between the check valve member 45 and the body portion 38 of the piston.

Loosely slidable upon the piston rod within the working cylinder is an annular pressure transfer member or thrust plate 4'! having openings 48 and a. marginal downwardly extendin skirt portion 49 within which lodges the upper and wider end of a spirally coiled compression spring 50 of flat spring material, the lower and narrower end of which spring rests upon the annular check valve member 45.

Above the top end portion 23 of the working cylinder is provided anannular check valve member 5| engageable by the pressure-transmitting pins 29, but normally urged down to close the flow passages 21 by a spring shown to b in the form of resiliently compressible Belleville washers 52 confined between the annular member 5| and an end closure member 53 of the outer casing or shell H through which passes the piston rod by way of an annular seal 54 held in place by a conical annulus .55 under the pressure of a coil spring 56 shown to be resting upon the Belleville washers 5.2. The check valve member 5| has an annular gasket 5P similar to the gasket member or annular fiber washer 35 shown to be provided for the check valve member 45.

The Belleville washers 52 are disposed within a space 5'! which may be termed a fluid transfer chamber since through it passes pressure fluid from the upper end of the working cylinder into the reservoir.

The upper outer end closure member 53 has at the top a conical face 58, below which it has an annular shallow groove 59. v

The outer shell or casing H comprises a wider lower portion 50 and a reduced upper portion 6!. The wider portion 60 in turn comprises a cylindrical body portion 62 having at its lower end an inverted conical section 63 swedged over the bottom portion l5 so as to engage upon and lock with the conical sectionZZ thereof, and at its upper end a conical section 64 engaging upon and locking with the conical face 2.5 of the top end portion '23 of the working cylinder. It will be seen that the bottom and top end portions of the work'- ing cylinder 16 are thus confined against-one another by the opposed conical sections 63 and -64 of theouter shell II. The upper end of the reduced portion of the shell is swedged over andinto tight connection with the conical face 55 of the upper end closure member 53 as well as into the annular groove 59 thereof.

The spirally coiled spring 50 is shown in semi compressed condition in Fig. 1 and infullyexpanded condition in Fig. 2 in which condition there exists a space or clearance at between the thrust plate l! and the lower ends of the pressuretransmitting pins 29. In Fig. 3 the spring 55) is shown in a state of substantially full compression whereby accordingly it holds closed the check valve member 45 against the pressure of the coil spring 46 While keeping open the check valve member 5! by transmitting pressure through the thrust plate 4! and the pins 29 and overcoming the counter pressure of the Belleville washer spring 52. While in its expanded (Fig. 2) position the spring 50 allows the counter spring 45 to open the check valve member 45, while allowing the Belleville washer spring 52 to close the check valve member 5!. The intermediate state of compression of spring 50 (see Fig. 1) is shown to be no longer capable of holding open the check valve member 5! against the Belleville washer spring 52,/as well as to be reduced sufficiently to about permit the counter spring 46 to open the check valve member :35.

The coiled spring 50 is a variable-reaction spring, while the counteracting springs, namely the coil spring 46 and the Belleville washer spring .52 are constant-reaction springs. The interplay forces between these three springs Will appear from the following description of the operation.

Operation Referring to the Figs. 1 to 3 embodiment, when a shock is received by the vehicl wheel hitting a hump in the road the vehicle spring is compressed while accordingly the shock absorber piston and piston rod are retracted from their neutral Fig. l-position to the Fig. 2-position, this shock-initiated retraction stroke being substantially unsnubbed or undampened, namely as according to the substantially horizontal line a-b in the Fig. 4 shock absorber diagram. The shock absorber reacts in this manner for the reason that the coiled springfifi in expanding relieves its pressure upon the valve member 45 while the inlet check valve I 8 closes, as the coil spring 46* aids in raising the valve member 55 from its seat upon the transfer passages in the piston. This permits th fluid from below the piston to be displaced against only light pressure through the passages 44 into the space above the piston, while excess fluid volume which is due to the displacement caused by the retracting piston rod escapes through the outlet passages 2'! although subject to some counterpressure from the Belleville spring washers 52.

Fig. 2 thus illustrates a position of the piston still on its shock-initiated down stroke (retraction stroke) although near its extreme lower end position. I-Ience, during this phase the compression of the vehicle spring according to the line a'-b' in the Fig. 5 diagram is unsnubbed so that a combination of the phase ab of the Fig. 4 diagram with the phase a-b' of the Fig. 5 diagram results in the phase a"-b" of the Fig. 6 diagram representing the resultant reaction upon the vehicle body.

When the piston is in or near its lower dead center position the spring 5!} is fully expanded, that is uncompressed and unconfined as will be seen from the clearance 01 between the thrust plate ll and the pressure transmitting pins.

Then follows the snubbed return stroke of the piston from its extreme lower end position back to the intermediate or neutral Fig. l-position, according to the phase represented by the line c-d in the Fig. 4 diagram. The characteristics of this curve are such that initially there is a fiat or shallow convex portion starting at point 0 which is followed by and merges into a steeper transitional portion which in turn merges into a shallower concave portion terminating at point d. This dampens the rebound phas c---d of the vehicle spring so that there results a snubbed phase c"d" in the form of'a substantially horizontal line in the Fig. 6 diagram.

In terms of shock absorber operation this snubbing efiect results due to reversal of piston travel from the extreme lowermost position Off the piston, when the check valve l6 opens to admit fluid from the reservoir into th space be low the piston while the piston valve member closes because of such reversal and thereby imposes upon the piston such pressure or load as is necessary to expel fluid from the space abov the piston through the outlet passages 21 and against the pressure of the Belleville washer spring 52 into the reservoir l2. The pressure reaction of spring 52 at this time, however, is partially neutralized by the then attained degree of compres sion of the spring 58. Thus the piston may be assumed to have left its neutral Fig. 1 position.

If now a shock in the opposite direction is received by the vehicle wheel, namely because of its passing over a depression in the road, the pressure upon the vehicle spring is thereby momentarily relieved and the spring allowed to expand due to the dropping of the wheel. This spring reaction as represented by the line d.e in the Fig. diagram is substantially unsnubbed or undampened as appears from the line d-e in the shock absorber Fig. 4 diagram, as well as from the resultant reaction upon the vehicl body as represented by the line de" in the Fig. 6 diagram.

In terms of shock absorber operation this phase of the cycle is due to the further compression of the spring 50 (this being a variable-reaction spring in which the pressure reaction increases with increasing compression) whereby it overcomes the counter-pressure from the Belleville spring washers 52 permitting the fluid above the piston to escape through the passages 21 into the reservoir without meeting any substantial resistance. At the same time during this shock-initiated stroke the inlet check valve 18 opens to admit fluid from the reservoir into the space below the piston. Fig. 3 shows the piston still during its upward stroke although close to its upper end position, and the valve member 5i open because of the balancing force reaction from the now nearly fully compressed spring 59.

As a result of the compression of the spring 59 the thrust plate 49 is held against the top end portion 23 so that a shoulder 23 thereof partially blanks off the passage or hole 48 in the thrust plate.

Upon reversal of the travel of the piston from its upper end position the piston encounters a resistance and is snubbed on its return stroke to the neutral Fig. 1 position. That is to say, the re bound of the vehicle spring as represented by the line f'-a in the Fig. 5 diagram is snubbed by the shock-absorber resistance as represented by the line f-a in the Fig. 4 diagram, the resultant reaction upon the vehicle body being represented by the line f"-a" in the Fig. 6 diagram. It will be noted that during an operating cycle of the shock absorber such as represented by the closed or cyclic diagram in the Fig. 4, ther takes place an interplay of forces between the spring 5%] and the springs 52 and 45 the spring 59 being a variable-reaction spring while the springs 52 and #56 are substantially constant-reaction springs.

The characteristics and the coaction of the springs determine the specific shape of the Fig. 4 shock absorber diagram from which it is noted that the outer end portions or initial portions of the snubbed return strokes c-d and f-a are substantially flattened whereby smooth shockabsorbing effects upon the vehicle body are attained. However. the characteristics of the shock absorber diagram can be modified by the substitution of a spring 50 having a difierent characteristic.

In the Fig. 7 embodiment of the shock absorber a working cylinder 55 comprises a cylindrical 8 body portion 66, a top closure piece 9'5, and a bottom closure piece 68. The working cylinder is surrounded by an outer housing cylinder or casing 69 forming with the working cylinder an annular reservoir 19, and comprising a cylindrical body portion II, a bottom closure member 12 shown to be screwed into the cylindrical body portion 11 as at H and a top closure member 13 secured in the cylindrical body portion by a snap ring 14 sprung into an internal circular groove 14 formed at the upper end of the cylin drical body portion 'H and shown to be part thereof. The top closure member .3 has a sealing ring or so-called O-ring 76 extending in an annular external groove 11' for sealing the top closure member 13 against the surrounding cylindrical housing portion H.

The working cylinder 65 is confined within the housing or casing 69 by being immovably confined between the top and the bottom closure members 13 and 12 thereof. That is to say the top closure piece 6'! of the working cylinder has a marginal overhanging or flange portion l8 upon which engages the top closure member "a3 of the housing, while the bottom closure piece 68 of the working cylinder has a marginal flange portion 88* engaged by the bottom closure member 12 of the housing. A piston rod 1'9 extends through the top end closure portions of the working cylinder as well as of the housing and is sealed by a gland represented bya sealing ring held in place by a confining ring 8! held under pressure by a coil spring 82 which in turn is braced against the top closure piece 51 of the working cylinder, lodging in a shallow recess 83 thereof. The piston rod is formed at its lower end with a reduced portion 84 forming a shoulder 85, and also formed with a further reduced portion 86 forming a shoulder 81 upon which is seated a piston member 88 fixed in place by the riveted extreme end portion 88 of the piston rod. The piston member 88 has an upwardly extending skirt portion 89, and is provided with an outer set of fiow transfer passages 90 for fluid transfer through the piston downwardly, and further provided with an inner set of flow transfer passages 9| for fiuid transfer through the piston in the opposite direction, namely upwardly. Between the piston member 88 and the shoulder 85 there operates a movable annular unbiased check valve member 92 surrounding the reduced portion 84 and adapted to close the flow transfer passages 9|.

The tension of the Belleville spring Washer 91 is opposed to that of the spirally wound coil spring 95, the Belleville spring being a constantreaction spring and substantially weaker than the spiral coil spring 95 which has a variablereaction characteristic.

The flow passages 99 are adapted to be closed by an annular thrust plate 93 or annular valve member which may be of hard fiber or similar composition. The valve member 93 is under the influence of the wide end of a flat spirally coiled spring 95, the narrow end of the spring being braced against a thrust member 96 engaging a Belleville washer spring 91 which is marginally seated in a shallow recess 98 of the bottom closure piece 68 which is also provided with another shallow recess 99 at the underside as well as with a central outlet flow passage lil for downward flow therethrough, flow passages liil for upward fiow therethrough past an annular unbiased check valve member lfll and with recesses m2 to constitute 2-way flow passages. Radially from the recess 99 extend one-way flow passages 99 through which fluid may be drawn from the reservoir 10.

Rigidly connected with and downwardly from the thrust member 96 extends a valve stem I03 at the lower end of which is provided a valve member I04.

The function of the Fig. 7 shock absorber is similar to that of the Figs. 1 to 3 embodiment in regard to the stroke-pressure diagram involved.

Mechanically the operation is as follows:

When the piston is in its median or zero position (as shown in full lines) the spiral coil spring 95 is partially compressed exerting a corresponding pressure against Belleville washer spring 97 and thereby partially neutralizing the valve closing tendency thereof.

When a shock is received as by the car wheel hitting a hump on the road, the piston rod I9 is thereby retracted, moving the piston member 88 down from its median or zero position as indicated by arrow I 05.

The spring 95 is further compressed overcoming the counter-pressure of Belleville washer spring 91 thereby fully opening the valve I04. Hence the piston moves downwardly on its shockinitiated stroke against relatively little hydraulic pressure resistance since excess pressure fluid can escape through outlet passage I while fluid from the underside of the piston is being displaced past the check valve 92 tothe space above the piston.

The lowermost or bottom dead center position of the piston is indicated in the partial dot-andclash line showing thereof as well as by the arrow I06, and by the condition of the spring $5 indicated to be fully compressed."

Upon reversal of the piston movement from the bottom dead center position in the direction of arrow Isl, hydraulic resistance pressure is encountered since the check valve member 92 closes. That is to say the fluid from above the piston must be displaced through the transfer passages 96 against the valve closing pressure of the spring 95, until the piston reaches again its neutral or median position corresponding to arrow E08.

When a shock is received as by the car wheel hitting a depression in the road, the piston rod '59 is thereby extended moving the piston member 88 upwardly from is median position as indicated by arrow I09.

During this upward shock-initiated stroke the spring 95 expands further relieving th valveclosing pressure upon transfer flow passages 90, hence little hydraulic pressure resistance is encountered by the piston on this stroke until the piston reaches the top dead center position indicated by the partial dot-and-dash line showing thereof as well as by arrow i 50.

When the piston reaches its upper dead center position, the transfer passages 90 become partially blanked off by the top closure piece '61 of the working cylinder.

Upon reversal of the piston from its top dead center position, as indicated by arrow III, hydraulic pressure resistance is encountered by the piston on its return stroke for the reason that the valve member 83 closes while the check valve member e2 opens, but the outlet passag m0 is kept closed by the closing tendency of the Belleville spring washer 91, since the spring 95 is not yet compressed suiliciently to exert sufiicient counter-pressure upon the Belleville spring Washer to open the outlet valve member I 04.

However as the compression of spring 111- creases, it will finally overcome the counterpressure from the Belleville spring washer so as to open valve member ills causing the hydraulic pressure resistance to drop as the piston again approaches its neutral or median position indi cated by arrow H2.

With respect to the Big. 7 embodiment of a shock' absorber, we have found it to be advantageous to embody the following dimensional relationship between the inner diameter D of the working cylinder and the diameter d of the piston rod:

D approx. equal to d For example with D=1 Figs. 8 and 9 show diagrammatically an application of the shock absorber for dampeningthe shocks or impacts betmeen coupled freight cars, Fig. 8 being a side view, and Fig. 9 being a plan view of the mounting of the shock absorber as proposed by this invention.

Two freight cars H3 and H 1 are interconnected by a coupling C as well as by a shock absorber H6 mounted in a novel manner in that its longitudinal or thrust axis extends at an angle A1 relative to the horizontal plane, as well as at an angle A2 relative to the longitudinal axis of the cars, that is at an angle relative to the path of their forward movement.

As a result of this mounting shocks between the cars are effectively absorbed not only when they occur in longitudinal direction, that is in 35 the line of progress of the cars, but also when they occur transversely between the cars.

We claim:

1. Shock absorber apparatus having a liquidholding reservoir, a container connected therewith adapted to resist liquid pressure and having a body portion with an inlet end portion and an outlet end portion, an inlet valve effective at the inlet end portion controlling liquid flow to the container from the reservoir, a loaded outlet valve effective at the outlet end portion controlling liquid fiow from the container to the reservoir, a movable partition in the container reciprocable between the end portions, a fluid transfer valve carried by the movable partition for controlling liquid flow from one side to the other of the partition when the partition is in motion, and main resilient compressible means effective between said transfer valve and said outlet valve the length of which resilient means varies with the distance between said transfer valve and said outlet valve whereby when that distance diminishes the load on the resilient means increases thus increasing the load on the transfer valve while facilitating opening of the outlet valve and when that distance increases the load on the resilient means decreases thus decreasing the load on the transfer valve and increasing the load on the outlet valve, and motivating means for said partition.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the load pressing the outlet valve comprises an ape1- tured dished spring.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the resilient means is a spirally coiled spring.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, with the addition of compression counter resilient means for opening the transfer valve when the main resilient means are substantially decompressed.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, with the addition of a reciprocable plate interposed be- 11 tween the outlet valve and the adjacent end of the-resilient means and against which plate the resilient means bears, said plate being shaped to allowthe flow or liquid therepast from the container through the outlet valve.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the valves includes an annular plate of hard-fiber material.

'I. A shocl: absorber having a liquid-holding reservoir, a cylindrical container connected with the reservoir, said container having a body portion and an inlet head portion at one end and an outlet head portion at the other end of the'body portion, a piston, reciprocable in said container between the head portions, an inlet check valve effective at and associated with the inlet head portion controlling liquid flow to the container from the reservoir, a loaded outlet check valve effective at and associated with the other head portion controlling liquid flow from the container to the reservoir, a fluid transfer check valve carried by the-piston and controlling passage of liquid from one side to the other of the piston when the piston isin motion, and actuating means between the transfer valve and the outlet valve comprising reciprocable means extending .irough the outlet head portion and adapted to bear upon the outlet valve in opposition to the load thereon, a. reciprocable plat within the container adapted to bear upon sai reciprocable means, and a main compression spring between theplate and the transfer valve whereby as the distance between the outlet valve and the transfer valve diminishes the load on to spring increases thus increasing the load on thi transfer valve while relieving through said reciprocable means the load upon the outlet valve thereby facilitating the opening thereof, and as that-distance increases. the load on the spring decreasesthus decreasing the load on the transfer valve while increasing valve.

the load on the outlet 8.- Apparatus accordin to claims "I, wherein said reciprocable means comprisesa reciprocable pin".

9. Apparatus according to claim .7, wherein the cylindrical container. is surrounded. by said reservoir, the outlet valve is disposed within the cross-sectional. area defined by the. interior of the cylindrical container, and the inlet valve is disposed Within. the-annular cross-sectional area of the reservoir.

10. Apparatus according to claim .7, with the addition of a compression counter spring for openingv the transfer valve. when the main compression; spring is substantially decompressed.

11. Apparatus. according to claim '7, wherein the parts comprising, the cylinder and the head portions thereof are held in operative relationship by a swaged-on envelopingcasingthat also forms onev wall of the reservoir.

JACQUES H. NIERCIER. JEAN MERLCIER'.

REFERENCES CITED The followingv references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES. PATENTS 7 

